He won a competitive appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, through the Texas National Guard.

[3] Before departing to his first assignment, in the Territory of Hawaii, he returned to New York, and married Muriel Edith Wright, to whom he had become engaged when he was a cadet.

[6] A dozen B-17s were flown to Cloncurry for the mission, the first raid on Rabaul, but without ground crews, the aircrew had to perform their own maintenance, and three bombers could not be made ready due to mechanical problems.

Carmichael's bomber was riddled with bullet holes, and the radio operator and tail gunner were lightly wounded, but all were able to return to Port Moresby, and thence back to Townsville.

[6] This time the commander of the Allied Air Forces, Major General George Kenney, wanted a maximum effort to support the landing on Guadalcanal.

[13] Carmichael served on the staff of United States Army Air Forces in Washington, D.C., as executive assistant to General Henry H. Arnold from 6 January to 26 July 1943,[1] for which he was award the Legion of Merit.

The 462d Bombardment Group flew to the China Burma India Theater via Africa between March and June 1944, where it became part of the Twentieth Air Force.

He was awarded an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Service Cross:for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-29 Very Heavy Bomber of the 58th Bombardment Wing, Twentieth Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 20 August 1944, against enemy ground targets in Japan.

Colonel Carmichael was Formation Commander of three B-29 aircraft on a precision daylight attack from a forward base in China against the coke ovens of the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata, Japan.

Colonel Carmichael was determined to attempt to land the plane because of the two injured men who were unable to bail out, but at about 500 feet the entire right wing burned through and dropped off.

This mission, the first daylight strike against the home islands of Japan since the Tokyo raid of 1942, completely destroyed the vital enemy iron and steel works.

Colonel Carmichael's actions, in the face of fighter and flak opposition and the hazards of mechanical failure on this mission of more than 3,000 miles, reflect great credit on himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Army Air Forces.

After repatriation and a period of hospitalization, he was posted to the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field in Ohio from 8 February to 30 August 1946.

[4] On 1 July 1949, he assumed command of the 11th Bombardment Group at Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, Texas.

[4] The 98th Bombardment Group moved to Yokota Air Base in Japan in August 1950 to participate in the Korean War,[10][15] and he flew another 39 combat missions in Korea.

[1] He was awarded another oak leaf cluster to his Legion of Merit, and one to his Silver Star for leading a bombing raid on Sinuiju, the temporary capital of North Korea, on 8 November 1950.

An important supply and communications center, it lay only 666 yards (609 m) from Andong, a Chinese city on the other side of the Yalu River.

This was conducted in the face of an intense enemy rebuilding effort, and in the teeth of anti-aircraft artillery and jet interceptors, but he was still able to keep the airfield non-operational, and no aircraft were shot down or aircrew lost.

[16] The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Colonel (Air Corps) Richard Henry Carmichael, United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-29 Very Heavy Bomber of the 58th Bombardment Wing, Twentieth Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 20 August 1944, against enemy ground targets in Japan.

Colonel Carmichael was Formation Commander of three B-29 aircraft on a precision daylight attack from a forward base in China against the coke ovens of the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata, Japan.

Colonel Carmichael was determined to attempt to land the plane because of the two injured men who were unable to bail out, but at about 500 feet the entire right wing burned through and dropped off.

This mission, the first daylight strike against the home islands of Japan since the Tokyo raid of 1942, completely destroyed the vital enemy iron and steel works.

Colonel Carmichael's actions, in the face of fighter and flak opposition and the hazards of mechanical failure on this mission of more than 3,000 miles, reflect great credit on himself and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the Army Air Forces.